Parenthood
by WindowChild
Summary: Drabbles concerning Annabeth and Percy's family life. Future fic.
1. Baby

A/N: Every drabble in this is dedicated to my amazing friend Savannah (or ShadowPalace, as some of you know). Her new story _The Life I Wish I Had_ inspired me, so yeah. : )

His eyes had never been so wide. That's the first thought that crossed Annabeth's mind, as she held up their beautiful baby for him to hold.

"She's perfect," he murmured, taking the fragile infant in his arms. He rocked her, pulling her as close as he could without hurting her. "Just… wow."

They were young, the youngest couple in the Lamaze class, but for once Percy looked old. Next to his brand new daughter, he seemed mature for the first time.

"How… how are you?" Even as he spoke to his wife, his eyes stayed on the baby. She was so small and untouched, he worried that she would vanish if he moved his gaze.

"I'm fine," Annabeth replied, blissfully squeezing his hand. She wanted to hold her daughter as well, but she'd already had her turn. Besides, watching Percy turn to speechless goo was fun for her.

"I – I heard – you seemed like you were in pain." He sat next to her on the bed, each of them holding their daughter with a hand.

"I'm okay," Annabeth repeated. Even so, she looked worse for the wear. She was sweating and grungy, her face hollow with exhaustion. If she hadn't been so incredibly jubilated, she probably would have been close to miserable.

"So, what's her name going to be?" Percy asked. His usual tone had been sanded down, turned from sarcastic to a soft hum.

"I was thinking Skye," Annabeth murmured. She snuggled her way closer to Percy, their daughter in their hand.

"After Zeus?" Percy smirked. "Yeah, I'm sure that will go over well with our two parents."

"It's a pretty name," Annabeth said. "And it doesn't have to have anything to do with him."

"Okay then," Percy agreed. "After watching you, um… do what you did there, I don't think I can ever say no again." His smiled turned mushy, as he turned his head back to the baby. "How about it sweetheart? Is your name Skye?" The baby giggled.


	2. Water

"Daddy," Sky said, playing with a strand of her father's hair. "What if I drown?"

"What?" Percy replied, shifting his daughter from his back to his side. "What would give you that kind of idea?" She had yet to receive the speech about her demigod heritage. Because of this, Percy and Annabeth had become experts at soothing her questions with white lies.

"Well, we don't have water wings, do we?" Sky asked. She was sucking her thumb, twirling a strand of her blonde hair.

"Not that I know of," Percy said, "But trust me sweetie, you won't need them."

Sky pouted. "But Jenny always says about how _she_ learned to swim with her float-y wings. And she said that you can't stay up without them." Sky stuck her tongue halfway out, frowning as her father moved her to the ground.

"You're going to be fine, honey. I promise. And then, for your sixth birthday, we can have a pool party."

"I don't want a pool party," Sky said. She was in a bad mood, extraordinarily annoyed at the concept of learning to swim.

"Well, that's fine too," Percy said, smiling to himself. She was more her mother's daughter – an image of intelligence and maturity – than she was his. She was his baby girl, of course, but as of yet there was no evidence that she had any civil relationship with water. Bath time was always a nightmare.

"Let me braid your hair, okay?" Percy said. "So that it doesn't get so tangled."

"I don't like braids," Sky said. She frowned up at her father, determined not to enjoy a single moment of the day.

"But I know you also don't like it when Mommy brushes your hair, right?" Percy said, gently thumbing her hair into six sections.

"Ick," Sky replied, emphatically shaking her head.

"This way she won't have to," Percy said. Surprisingly, he was better at doing her hair than Annabeth was. He pulled less, Sky always said, and Annabeth teased that it was because she was stronger.

"Okay," Percy said, lifting her up into the air. "You're all ready now. How do you like that?"

A giggle escaped Sky's lips. She loved it when Percy held her up in the air; she felt like a super hero. She began to scream though, as Percy brought her nearer to the pool's edge.

"No, Daddy! I do not want to swim!" she said, emphasizing every word to clarify any doubt in his mind.

"_Oh_," Percy said, exaggerating the syllable. "See, I thought you said that you wanted to swim." He shook his head, pretending to admonish himself. "Sweetie," he said, crouching down to her level. "I promise you, I won't let go of your hand, okay? And we'll stay where you can stand." Sky gave a little whimper, and Percy sighed. "Chiron's right, we should have taught you earlier."

Annabeth came up their driveway then, carrying a shopping bag.

"Mommy!" Sky called. She catapulted away from Percy, latching onto her mother's leg for safety.

"Hi honey," Annabeth said, picking her up. "How's swimming?"

"Somebody doesn't want to go," Percy said, raising an eyebrow to his wife.

"Oh," Annabeth said, feigning sadness for her daughter's sake. "That's too bad. I brought her some ducky water wings, just in case she did."

"Yay!" Sky called, diving for the bag.

Percy shook his head, marveling at it all. "Mommy thinks of everything."


	3. Halloween

A/N: Before I get started, I have **four** quick plugs.

Firstly, I have now have a blog (link on my profile). This includes a podcast, collaborated on by ShadowPalace, and occasionally other friends as well.

Second, has anyone checked out ShadowPalace and my new installment of the One-shot Challenge? I know people are totally busy with school (believe me, I know), but I was just curious if anyone plans on entering.

Third (so sorry about these plugs, guys!) I am offering up a review challenge again. If you review my story, leave a note at the bottom that you would like me to read/review one of your stories, and I promise to review it. I have noticed a decline in reviews lately (for all stories, not just my own), and I'm hoping to help by not being a hypocrite.

And… as I know many of you have noticed, I'm approaching my hundredth fic : ). I have a big one-shot idea that I'm working on, but I want to know if anyone would like to beta it (I really want to make it as close to perfection as possible). PM me, rather than leaving it in your review, if you would want to. Also note, I obviously can't have everyone beta me, so don't feel offended if I can't have pick you. There are a few people I have in mind, so yeah, we'll see who wants to.

And now, on with the story. So sorry for the length of that : (.

* * *

Sweeping Skye into his arms, Percy tied a clumsy ribbon around his daughter's hair. He had begun to do her hair every day, and the patterned ribbons were a part of their routine. Tonight, her ribbons were red to match her slippers.

"Daddy, will people know who I am?" Skye asked, letting him spin her around.

"Of course they will," he replied, throwing down the brush and picking up her pumpkin basket. He kissed her forehead. "How could they not?"

"Dorothy had brown hair," she replied, biting her lip. She was as detail-oriented as her mother, always concerned with the meticulous aspects of things.

"Well," Percy replied, touching a finger to her sparkly shoes, "I think the ruby-red slippers give you away."

At this, Skye smiled and clicked her heels together. The Wizard of Oz had been a big hit with her, and she wanted to be Dorothy whether she looked the part or not.

"And you're a fish, right Daddy?" Skye asked. Locking her arms protectively around his neck, she leaned against his stubbly cheek.

"Not a fish," Percy said, his tight smile as secretive as it was affectionate. "The God of Water, remember? Poseidon?"

"Oh," Skye replied, pretending to remember. She was pretty intelligent for a six-year-old, but long names rushed right through her ears.

Percy continued to smile, hoping his daughter would somehow adopt the idea. Her rather unique background was only one of the concepts they were trying to ease her into. Mommy's two-month pregnancy was the other, and frankly, Percy was unsure which piece of news would be taken worse.

"Is Mommy coming?" Skye asked, practically reading her father's mind.

"I don't know," Percy replied. He took the stairs one at a time, not wanting to upset his finned feet. "Why don't we find out?"

Annabeth had planned on coming, but obviously couldn't foresee how she'd be feeling. Besides, in an attempt to befriend the neighbors, the Jacksons had determined themselves on distributing candy this year.

Annabeth was delicately planted on the living room couch, her costume a mere gown. Its shimmering bodice extenuated her beauty so far, that Percy had to steel himself away from saying she was as beautiful as Aphrodite.

"You look great," he settled on saying, his grin almost childish. There was a playful glint to his green eyes, and Annabeth patted her belly with discretion. She was already pregnant – there wasn't much else they could do.

"Mommy! Your dress is so sparkly!" Skye wiggled until she was put on the floor, taking caution-filled steps to her mother. She didn't want to upset the rhinestones on her magic shoes.

"Are we ready?" Annabeth asked, smoothing her daughters' curls.

"Think so," Percy replied. He continued to smile, and Annabeth beamed back. Their constant happiness was so automatic, on occasion it didn't feel real. "You're coming then?"

She kissed her husband's cheek. "Oh, I think I can. We can leave the candy on the porch, can't we?"

"Yay!" Skye called. All precision was now lost from her movements, and she did a carefree dance around the living room. Percy leaned down and caught her midway between her third circle.

"Come on Dorothy, we have to go get candy."

She jumped up and down, all mannerisms completely forsaken by excitement. Grasping her father's hand in one, and her pumpkin in her other, she raced for the door.

"Hold up there," Annabeth called, pulling a camera from the side table. "I want a picture of you." Her eyes were wide and expectant, her recent nostalgia surfacing again. Nearly every night, she mentioned to Percy how big Skye was getting. And even as he assured her that Skye was still small enough to hold and protect, he couldn't say he didn't notice it as well.

"Here." She pressed a button the camera, setting it on the edge of the couch. "Get in front of it." With a smile, they bundled together, a wide smile surfacing on Skye's face. She had just remembered something.

Annabeth began to count down with the camera's light, instructing Percy and Skye to smile and say cheese.

But Skye did her one better, remembering her father's earlier words. "Poseidon!" she called, right on beat with the flash. In the photo, her parents' mirror images of shock contrasted nicely with her proud expression.

* * *

A/N: That is all! : ) Please review! As I say at the top, if you ask me to, I will review you as well.


	4. Fight

A/N: Much thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! :D Sorry for the long delay between chapters!

Annabeth's hand was shaking as she held the coffee mug, and it hit the counter with a resounding slam. "Percy!" she snapped, bristling. "You're upsetting Skye!"

"I'm upsetting Sky? Who's making the racket here?" Before slamming the coffee mug, Annabeth had also banged the refrigerator door (knocking a picture off the wall), hit the button on the microwave so hard that she punctured the label, and nearly torn off the toaster handle in her violent rage.

Meanwhile, Sky sat on the staircase in boredom, chin resting on her hand. She hardly felt "upset" by her parents' frequent arguments. In fact, they kind of reminded her of her friends at school sometimes. They were silly, always bickering over little things. Like today her mommy was running late for a presentation at some fancy museum, and her daddy had accidentally let the car run out of battery. That made mommy mad. Sky usually didn't mind their fights, since it was kind of funny to watch her parents act the same way that her best friends did when they fought over magic markers, but today she was running late for a gymnastics meet. Her mommy was supposed to drop her and Daddy off on the way to the museum, but now the car was broken. Broken, broken, broken.

"You know," Annabeth said, hands wrapped over her swollen belly, "you'd think that fatherhood would have instilled just a little responsibility in you, but no-no-no, that would be asking too much." She sneered cruelly, and Percy sighed in defeat. Arguing back was clearly not working for him.

"I know you're hormonal," he said softly. "It's natural. And I am sorry about the presentation, really Annabeth! Why don't we call car service, and we can call the museum from the road and - "

"Percy," Annabeth said, "this is my very last work assignment before..." All three stared at her tummy. "... Well, anyway, I wanted to make a good expression." She sniffed.

"Here," he said, gently taking the mug from her. "You really shouldn't have coffee."

She glared at him, and he threw up his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay. Have coffee, do whatever you want. It's not like it's our baby or anything," he snapped.

Sky shook her head, thinking how stupid Daddy could be. He wasn't supposed to speak sarcastically when Mommy was pregnant. Dr. Vega told him so.

"What? You think you're so special, you son of a - " Percy caught her in a glare. Whether she was going to say the "b word' or the "P word", neither could pass through Sky's ears without a rather heavy does of exposition and trauma. She sighed, hands rubbing her temples. "Now I have a headache," she moaned.

Rising carefully to her feet, Sky wondered if she should run out of the room. As interesting as a baby sibling sounded, she hated when her mommy threw up all over everything. Throwing up was no fun. When that didn't happen, Sky advanced slowly into the room. She took her father by the hand, leading him into the kitchen with a superior expression on her face.

"Daddy," she whispered, tugging his shirt. "Mrs. Jenson would say that this is the part where you say sorry."

"Huh?" he asked, momentarily startled.

"You know," Sky replied, taking her mother's hand as well, "after you fight with someone. You say you're sorry cause that's how they know that you love them even though you were mad." She climbed onto Percy's shoes, peering up at him in a pleading expression. "Please say sorry? I'm gonna to be late to gymnastics."

He stared at her for a moment, bewildered, and then burst out laughing. "We did a pretty good job with this one, huh?" he asked Annabeth, hands rifling affectionately through Sky's hair.

"I think this is Mrs. Jenson's doing," Annabeth replied wryly. She stepped towards the pair anyway, smile widening. "Sky," she said, "I think you're going to be a great big sister."

"Really?" Sky asked, looking delighted. "Yay!" She clapped her hands, but would not be deterred for long. "Now make up," she instructed, stepping back.

Percy and Annabeth glanced at each other, mild grins twitching on their lips. Partially stalling and partially acting parental, Annabeth turned quickly to her daughter. "Honey, you understand that when your daddy and I fight, it doesn't mean we don't love each other. And it doesn't mean we don't love you."

Sky rolled her eyes. That's what they always said. "Yes Mommy."

"Okay, good." She smiled, going to Percy at last. Without another word, they pecked lightly on the mouth, and Sky purposely covered her eyes. She didn't say 'ew' though, despite the fact she knew she was supposed to. A part of her liked to see her parents acting happily. Still, as Percy shepherded them into the car service, she rolled her eyes again. What kind of parents couldn't even say sorry? Watching her parents as they argued over which highway was best to take, she smiled quietly to herself. Hers.


End file.
